A Mans Loving Hand
by Mistress Muffin
Summary: She's all rough around the edges and he's a stubborn man. Can he break through to her? How long will it take him to convince her she's good enough?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING in this story. All publicly recognizable figures, companies, or products belong to their rightful owners. I'm just writing this FICTIONAL story. **

**A/N: Before you ask, Idk if Kevin Nash DOES training, but this is MY fictional world and what I say goes. **

Mark Calaway rode down the street on his Harley, the wind whipping around him. He wore a frown on as he thought about why he was currently on his bike.

Vince had called him and asked him to go check out Kevin's new trainee. The only reason he'd asked Mark was because Mark had a few months off to heal from a back injury and Vince himself couldn't make it, so Mark was the only one he trusted.

Before long, Mark was pulling up outside of the building. Shutting the bike off, he sat there for a few moments, glancing up at the building. Sighing, he got off the bike and headed around back to the basement entrance, he knocked loudly and in seconds there stood Kevin Nash. The older male gestured for him to come in, so Mark brushed past him and stood, crossing his arms as he observed.

A few people were practicing in the ring, two females. Kevin stood back on the outside, watching and shouting out instructions. Seeing someone come in, he glances over and grins. "What're you doing here, ugly?"

"Came to see your girls, man." Mark smirked, sliding his sunglasses on top of his head. Both men embrace in a quick 'man hug' before separating.

"Don't let her get her to the ropes, Jen, you'll be done." Kevin warned one of them.

One of the girls was on her back in the ring, while another was climbing up onto the turnbuckle. The one on the turnbuckle stood up completely straight, holding her arms out straight and leaped off and just at the last second, does a flip, landing a perfect senton bomb.

She rolls off the other female, and stands, heading back for the rope again.

"Jen, get the hell up!" Kevin called out. The girl, 'Jen', rolls to her feet just as the other girl attempts to do a moonsault, only to land on her stomach in the center of the ring.

The other female groans, rolling to her back before doing a kickup, landing on her feet and glaring at her opponent.

Both women lockup, before Jen breaks it and slaps the other girl.

"Aw fuck," Kevin curses, seeing the other female's head snap to the side with the force of the slap.

"What?" Mark asks before seeing why Kevin said that.

The other girl's head slowly turns back, a glare on her face just before she delivers a punch that sends Jen sprawling onto her back.

"Tara, ease up!" Kevin warned.

"Brutal female." Mark mused, watching Jen struggle to her feet and lean against the ropes. Tara charges forward, performing a Cactus clothesline, which sends both females flying over the ropes. They both land hard onto the mat on the outside. "Whoa…"

The first one to get up is the girl Jen, who stands up holding the back of her head and holds out a hand to Tara. Tara slaps the girls hand away, standing up on her own.

"That's enough for today." Kevin said, shaking his head.

"But Kev…" Jen whined. She was a female with long blonde hair, and pretty much the typical Barbie type.

"Aw fuck, give it a fuckin' rest Jen, goddamn." Tara curses, wiping her face with a towel.

"Jen, go hit the showers." Kevin ordered, the female quickly doing as he said. "Tara, come here." He crooked a finger, motioning for the other female to come to him.

Tara grudgingly does as he says, muttering under her breath until she stands in front of Kevin.

"What the hell was that?" Kevin asked, trying to sound angry but he just sounded amused.

"She slapped me, bitch had it comin'." Tara grunted, rubbing her cheek.

Mark looked this girl over, silently appraising her. She was about 5' 10 he'd guess, with long caramel colored hair that went to about her hips. She had a nice body, mostly hips and ass. Her skin was tan and her eyes a dark green, full slightly pouting lips and a round nose made her look like a doll.

"Just…go easy next time." Kevin shook his head.

Tara snorted at him, "Sure." She turned, noticing Mark there for the first time. "You're The Undertaker."

"My name's Mark," He held his hand out. When she shook it, he noted that she had a strong grip. "You kicked ass, darlin'." He raised an eyebrow when she just grinned at him.

"Mark, this is Tara Lin Carter." Kevin said when she didn't speak up.

"I'm Tara." She wiped her hands on her shorts. "Can I go shower? I smell like a gym sock."

"Go ahead. No more fighting with Jen." Kevin warned, shaking his head when Tara just rolled her eyes and walked away. "That girl is such a pain in my ass."

"She seems talented." Mark noted, scratching at his goatee. "She must be who Vince wants."

"She is. She's really talented, but her temper keeps people from signing her. They think she'll hurt one of the other girls."

"Well, judgin' by what she did to the lil' blonde thing, I'd say they're correct." Mark chuckled.

"She and Jen just butt heads." Kevin raked a hand through his hair.

"Why?" Mark asked curiously.

"Let's go grab a beer, man." Kevin clapped Mark on the back, leading the man up the steps and into the kitchen. He rooted around the fridge before handing Mark a bottle, opening his own and taking a long drink.

Mark silently took a drink of his own, keeping an eye on his friend. "What's the story man?" He asked.

Kevin sighed. "Tara is a hot head. She rivals you and me, man. She never sees eye to eye with other females, ever." He took another drink, collecting his thoughts. "Her temper really is what keeps her from being signed. Or should I say, kept her from being signed."

"What's so bad about her having a temper?" Mark raised an eyebrow.

"She broke a girls nose for just looking at her the wrong way." Kevin snorted, but couldn't help but smirk.

"Sounds like a women who needs a whoopin'. " Mark mused.

"Try it and you'll eat your teeth." A sweet voice called out, just before Tara stepped into the kitchen. Her hair was still dripping wet, hanging over her left shoulder. She had a black WWF tanktop on and a pair of jeans. Her little feet were bare and Mark could see a little toe ring on her middle toe.

"Is that a threat?" Mark asked calmly.

Tara headed straight for the fridge, ignoring him. She swiped a beer, dodging Kevin when he went to grab her. "Nuh-huh, I earned this. Your fuckin' Barbie ambushed me up in the hall. I didn't retaliate." She sounded honest enough, even if she had a smirk on her lips.

"Why do I not believe you?" Kevin asked, but he got ignored as Tara hopped up onto the counter, her back to Mark.

"Kev! She hit me!" A nasally voice wailed, just as Jen came in, holding her cheek.

Kevin shot Tara an exasperated look, going and checking on Jen. The girl had a small bruise forming on her jaw.

Silently, Mark mused that Tara really did seem to need an ass whooping. The woman seemed out of control and there was no way Vince would put up with her shit.

"Tara, seriously?" Kevin groaned. "Jen honey, go put an ice pack on that and go home for the night. I'll take care of this." He kissed the blonde and sent her off.

"Foul!" Tara yelled, hopping down from the counter and spinning around on her heel, a slight glare marring her pretty features. "You always take her side!"

"Because you're brutal! What did she do to deserve you hitting her in the jaw?" Kevin didn't look amused.

Mark smirked, silently watching as the two seemed to forget he was there as they argued.

"She tackled me down in the hall!"

"So you hit her?"

"…I kicked her…" Tara at least looked a bit ashamed at her actions.

"You…you kicked her?" Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn it, this is why no one wants to sign you!"

"Hey! I have plenty a people wantin' to sign me. But the women don't wanna fight me."

"Exactly! You aren't gonna get signed if the women don't wanna fight you!"

"I don't wanna go against the women!"

Kevin looked about ready to strangle the girl but seemed to hold himself back. He took a deep breath and glared at her. "You can't go against the men, not right now. You need to get your temper under control."

"You need to get your temper under control," Tara mimicked him in a deep voice before rolling her eyes. "Ya know, you sure are a hypocrite there, Kevvy poo."

Mark snorted as he took a drink, causing beer to spray out of his nose. "Fuckin' damn." He groaned, grabbing a napkin and wiped up the mess. "Sorry, go back to your uh, talk." He chuckled when they both shot him a look. Holding his hands up in surrender, he shook his head.

"Just go to hell." Kevin snapped at her.

"I have the fuckin' thrown, sweetie." She winked at him, a smirk on her face as she finished off her beer. "Alright, I'ma head out now." She turned to Mark and gave him a sweet smile. "It really was good to meet you. Sorry for being a bitch. PMS and all that jazz" She even did jazz hands.

Mark couldn't help but chuckle at the female. "It's alright, darlin'. Nice meetin' you too." He watched her leave and then turned to Kevin, who looked like he was going to laugh and have an aneurism at the same time. "What the hell?"

"If she wasn't one of my best friends, I'da killed her a long time ago." Kevin grunted, finishing of his beer. "Man, she drives me nuts. She's like a sister to me and just a pain in my ass."

"Sounds like you need a break from her." Mark noted.

"I do, but who's gonna keep training her crazy ass?" Kevin mused, scratching his chin before grinning. "You could."

"What?" Mark raised an eyebrow. "Man, I'm recovering right now."

"Yeah, but it's not like YOU actually have to get in the ring with her. You could bring in one of the other guys to do the actual wrestling, you just gotta make sure she doesn't get lazy."

Mark stared at him. "Dude, I don't know."

"C'mon man, please? I'll owe you big time." Kevin looked like he was ready to fall to his knees and beg.

"Alright alright." Mark waved his hand at him.

"She probably ain't gonna sign until Vince let's her wrestle the men."

"Seems like she's got years to go then." Mark chuckled, knowing Vince wasn't going to agree to this anytime soon. Still, that meant he himself had awhile to help this girl. "Where does she live?"

"Closer to you, actually." Kevin shrugged.

"So it'll be easy as pie." Mark grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Yea, I still don't own a damn thing. DAMN IT.**

**A/N: This is taking place in '94 when Undertaker had to leave for a few months because of his back injury. I also added Glenn Jacob's a year or so early, because this is my fictional world. Vince McMahon may own the characters, but in my world, they bend to my will. Also, Undertaker would have been like 29-30. Tara is 24**

A few days later found Tara sprawled upside down on her couch in her living room as she watched TV. She was dressed in some jean shorts and a v-neck t-shirt, and her toe ring as her only jewelry.

A knock at the door caused her to groan and mute the TV before rolling off the couch and landing on her feet. "Hold your horses!" She called out as the person just kept knock. She knew only one person would do that, and her assumptions were correct when she yanked open the door and groaned when she saw Kevin grinning. "What do you want?" She spoke in a bored tone.

"Just came to see my favorite trainee. I brought a friend, you remember Mark, right?" Kevin brushed past her and into the house like he owned the place.

"Of course I remember Mark, ya dipshit." She turned, seeing Mark standing on the porch. "You can come in too, I guess. Kevin, get your feet off my coffee table." She turned, one hand on her hip as she glared at him.

Mark just glanced around the place, noticing it was very small. But then again, with only her living there, it was appropriate. The walls were a soft brown color, the furniture was all brown leather and the coffee table was a dark oak color. It was very warm.

"So to what do I owe this pleasure?" Tara asked, shoving Kevin's feet off her coffee table and taking a seat in her leather chair.

"Well ya see…I'm heading back to work soon…like tomorrow soon." Kevin scratched his chin.

Mark stayed standing up, his arms casually crossed in front of his chest as he waited.

"Um…okay, I guess I can wait a while until you get some more time off." Tara looked upset at that.

"You see…that's another thing, I uh, already got you a new trainer." Kevin grinned.

Tara eyed him suspiciously. "Who? If it's that greasy guy with the chest hair, I swear…"

"It's not Scott!" Kevin laughed when she glared at him.

"Good…fuckin' greasy ass-"

"There a reason she's not a fan of Scott?" Mark piped up, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I'M not a fan of Scott Hall because he's an arrogant asswipe. He thinks he's god's gift to women and I swear that he just-"

"Give it a rest, Tara. Please." Kevin sighed, trying to cut her off. Scott was his friend, through and through. "Look, Mark is your new trainer." He spoke in a tone that should have said for her to just shut up, but she paid it no mind.

"What the hell? Kev, Mark doesn't wanna train me." She tried to say.

"Actually darlin', I would like to help train ya." Mark interrupted.

She turned and stared at Mark, seemingly looking to see if he was lying. Finding no traces of a lie, she slowly nodded. "Wait…aren't you injured?"

"Don't you worry about that." Mark smiled at her. "I have a few ideas."

She replied without thinking. "I'm going to die."

A few days later, Kevin was back on the road and Tara was headed to Mark's house. She wasn't happy about it, losing Kevin. He was the only trainer she's ever trusted and he up and left her high and dry. Well, no, not really. He did leave her in Marks hands. She snorted, rolling her eyes as she drove up into the driveway and parked her truck.

She climbed out of the cherry red truck, her boots crunching on the gravel as she slammed the door and walked to the opened garage where she could see Mark and someone else speaking.

"I'm here." Tara called out, interrupting the conversation.

"Come on in darlin'." Mark waved her inside and then motioned to the other male. "This is a friend of mine, Glenn Jacobs. Glenn, this is Tara Carter." He introduced them.

Tara eyed the other male curiously, holding her hand out. They shook and then she put her hand on her hip. "What's he doing here?"

"Well darlin', he's here to help train you." Mark raised an eyebrow.

"This guy? No one's even really heard of him. From what I know, he can't even wrestle." Tara narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe you got me goin' against a nobody!"

"A nobody?" Glenn raised an eyebrow. "Please little girl." He rolled his eyes at the female. She had a nasty ass attitude and no respect for anyone.

"I ain't little, you behemoth!" Tara snapped, looking like she was ready to lunge.

"Well you're a lot smaller than I am."

"I could still whip your ass."

"Really?"

By now, they stood toe to toe, nose to peck. Tara had to lean her head back a bit just so she could glare up at him.

"Really."

"So go prove it." Mark cut in, moving them away from each other. He turned to Tara. "You think you're all big and bad? You can terrorize other females?" He motioned to Glenn. "You wanted to fight a man; this is your one chance to prove you can hang with the big dogs."

Tara glared at Mark before turning to Glenn. "Bring it."

Mark sent her to change into her clothes. When she left, he turned to Glenn. "See what I meant, man?"

"She's a girl that needs a whippin'." Glenn nodded his head.

"She does. I'm hoping going against you shows her that she ain't gonna be able to take down everyone. Knock some sense into her thick skull." Mark ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, I'll do what I can, man." Glenn promised.

The door entering the house from the garage opened and Tara stepped out, wearing basketball shorts and a sports bra, both black. "Ready?"

"Sure are. We got a ring down in the downstairs gym." Mark led them through the house and down to the basement. The entire basement was a gym. The center of the room was a ring.

"Whoa…" Tara breathed, hopping up onto the apron and slipping through the ropes, standing in the center of the ring with a small smile on her lips.

"She seems almost happy." Glenn whispered to Mark who merely nodded.

"C'mon then, let's get this show on the road, Glenda." Tara called out.

Glenn turned to Mark and raised an eyebrow. "She's dead." He stepped into the ring.

Mark chuckled before nodding at them.

Glenn and Tara circled each other before locking up. Glenn broke the lock up, lifting her up and body slamming her to the mat. She grunted before rolling back up. He lifted her up yet again and did another body slam. She rolled to her feet, groaning.

She darted her eyes around, looking for a weak spot. She managed to spear him down to the mat but she tumbled down with him.

Both got back to their feet and started trading hits and kicks until Tara crumbled to the mat, holding her side and groaning out in pain.

"That's enough Glenn." Mark called, stepping into the ring herself. He walked over to where Tara lay and crouched. "You alright, darlin'?"

"Fuck you." She hissed out, her eyes squinted in pain.

"Aw shit, I didn't mean to hurt her. I'm so sorry." Glenn kneeled down next to the girl, honestly looking upset that he hurt her.

She rolled to her feet and stood. Her foot shot out and caught him in the shoulder, sending him onto his back. Mark blinked before shaking his head.

"You lil' faker." He sighed.

"Hey, my ribs kinda hurt. I was just getting Glenda back."

"You need an ass whippin'." Mark narrowed his eyes.

"When you think you're man enough, sweetie." She reached up, patting his shoulder and dodging out of his hold.

After getting Glenn up and he and Tara making up, it was a harsh training session. Mostly working on cardio and stuff.

In just 5 hours, Tara was begging to call it quits for the day.

"Say sorry to Glenn and you can go." Mark smirked.

"I…already did." She sounded confused.

"You told him he couldn't wrestle and he was a nobody. Apologize and you can go home."

"Mark she don't have-"

"Yes she does. Tara, say you're sorry."

Tara made a sour face before turning to Glenn and groaning. "I'm sorry. You can wrestle and maybe you aren't a nobody." It looked as if it actually pained her to apologize but Mark only smiled at her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin. Seriously, everything is the property of their respectful owners. I only own Tara, my OC. Try to sue me, and it's like bleeding a turnip. Ya ain't gonna get nuttin.**

Tara groaned and turned to Mark. "Can I go NOW?" She asked.

"Why are you in a rush to leave?" Mark asked her, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shifted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I just…have other things I want to do." She muttered, not looking at him or Glenn.

"Do you not like me?" Mark chuckled. He rolled his eyes as she kept silent, still not looking at him. "Alright fine, go on ahead and go home. Be back here tomorrow at 5am."

"Okay than-wait, what!?" She wailed, giving him a look that would make lesser men cower. "I ain't getting up that early!" She snapped at him.

"You either show up or you tell Kevin you no longer want to wrestle. Your choice." Mark shrugged. Seeing her pause, he pushed on. "I could also tell Vince to keep his contract."

Tara froze completely, her eyes widening just a fraction before she managed to school her face into an annoyed expression. "Fine." She muttered, turning on her heel and leaving.

That night, Tara lay awake in her bed, visions of revenge playing in her mind. Smirking, she got out of bed and slid on sweatpants and a tanktop before leaving the house. Driving to Mark's, she made sure that her lights were off as she pulled into his driveway.

Keeping the lights off and the truck running, she headed around the side of the house to the back yard. The dogs were out back.

When they saw her, they went to bark but she hushed them and ushered them out to her truck before peeling out of the driveway.

Mark headed out to his bike. Hopping on, he started it and headed to Tara's to pick her up.

Knocking on the door, he waited. "Come in!" Tara called out and Mark walked in, only to see his dogs curled around her.

"What the fuck?" He bellowed, eyes wide. "How did you get them!?"

"Well ya see, someone left em outside and I didn't want the poor babies tah freeze, so I brought em home." Tara shrugged casually, petting Demon behind the ears.

"It's Texas, in the middle of April." Mark growled, headed over to her. His pitbull, Satan, stepped in the way and bared his teeth and growled. "What's gotten into you?" He asked the dog, halting. "What the hell did you do to my dogs?" He asked Tara with narrowed eyes.

"Not a thing, they just like me." She shrugged as Demon nuzzled his nose against her belly. "So, we still training?" She smiled sweetly at Mark.

Mark stared at her, before shaking his head. "You're the fucking Devil." He ran a hand through his hair.


	4. Chapter 4

Tara trained for months with Mark, all the way up until April when Mark had to go do a few things in Connecticut for Vince, so Tara was left on her own for a few weeks. She got to thinking one day, about what Mark said.

'_I could also tell Vince to keep his contract.'_

She hadn't known Vince McMahon even wanted her in his company, but Mark let the cat out of the bag. Over the last few weeks, anytime she'd mouthed off to him, Mark held her contract over her head.

She'd been up all night, repeating his words over and over until she was in tears. Picking up the phone, she dialed her grandfathers number.

"Hello?" His voice was all it took for her to burst into more tears. "Tara? Sweetie, is that you?" He sounded concerned.

"Y-yes." She wiped her face but the tears kept falling.

"What's wrong, child?" He asked.

"It's Mark!" She cried.

She'd told him weeks ago that Mark had taken over her training, so he knew who she was talking about. "What did he do?" Her grandfather asked in a deathly calm voice.

"He keeps holding this contract over my head!" She sniffled. "Every time I don't do something the way h-he wants it, he threatens to tell Vince not to give me a contract."

Silence rang through on the other end of the line.

"Grandfather?" Tara murmured, wiping her face yet again.

"I'll take care of it." He spoke, his tone showing his ire. He hung up before she could speak.

Blinking, she stared down at the phone before sighing heavily and putting it back on the hook. She got up and headed up stairs to take a shower, hoping to relax and calm down.

The only person Tara has ever cried in front of is her grandfather, an ex wrestler for the WWF. He's known by the name Chief Jay Strongbow. No one knew she was his granddaughter because she didn't want special treatment.

Getting out of the shower, Tara headed to her room and changed into some baggy shorts and a t-shirt. Hearing the phone ring, she ran down the steps and picked up the cordless, clicking the answer button.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Is this Tara Carter?" A gruff voice spoke.

"It depends on who's askin'." Tara flicked her hair over her shoulder with her free hand.

"It's Vince McMahon." The voice chuckled.

"Oh…h-hello sir." She stuttered before clearing her throat. "Can I help you?"

"I spoke to your grandfather for a few hours earlier today, and I was told a few interesting things. But, I'll explain that later." Vince chuckled before his voice got serious. "I know you know that I've got a contract for you."

"Yes sir…"

"Well, I would like to fly you out to Baltimore, Maryland so you can sign it."

"..Wait, what? You want me to actually sign the contract?" She blinked.

"Yes, I truly do." Vince sounded so serious that Tara readily agreed. Vince and she spoke, making arrangements before hanging up.

5 days later, Tara was in Baltimore, Maryland, headed to the Baltimore Arena to sign her contract.

When the car stopped at the back entrance, she sighed heavily and got out, carrying her bag with her. She flashed the pass that Vince had mailed to her at security and they let her in. She was met inside by a young brunette with blue eyes and a pretty smile.

"Hi, I'm Stephanie McMahon." She said, holding her hand out for Tara to shake.

Tara eyed the girl before shaking her hand and cracking a small smile. "I'm Tara Carter."

"I'm here to take you directly to my dad's office, without being seen." Stephanie smiled, before turning and leading Tara down a quiet hallway. They get to a door and Stephanie opens it, and there sits Vince McMahon. "Daddy, this is Tara."

"Thanks Steph." Vince smiled at his daughter before turning his eyes onto Tara. "Miss Carter, it's nice to finally meet you in person." He held his hand out.

Tara walked closer and shook his hand, a small grin on her face. "It's nice to meet you too, Vince." She stepped back.

"Well, first, let's get your contract signed." He handed her a folder.

Tara took the folder and sat down in a chair across the desk, reading through it before grabbing a pen and signing it. She took a deep breath and handed it to Vince.

"Now that that's taken care of, we have a few things to talk about, yes?" He spoke, sitting back in his chair. "Steph, why don't you go grab some lunch or something?"

"Okay dad." Stephanie nodded. "Nice meeting you Tara." She turned and left the room.

Tara turned to Vince, raising an eyebrow.

"Well Tara, I've talked to your grandfather and he's told me some things. Would you mind telling me what happened with you and Mister Callaway?" Vince asked, leaning back in his chair and staring at her.

Tara sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "He took over my training from Kevin Nash, and any time I would get mouthy or not do something to his specifications, he threatened to tell you to keep your contract."

"Are you aware he and Mr. Nash both came to me and said that you told them you weren't ready for a contract?" Vince asked. By the look on Tara's face, he could tell that she didn't know. "But something told me not to take them at their word, that I needed to speak to you and hear it from you. That's when I got that phone call from your grandfather."

Tara couldn't believe it. Kevin of all people had went and lied to Vince, almost fucked up her career. It broke her heart to be truthful.

"But all that is behind us…for now." Vince gave Tara a smirk. "Now, we need to work on a few things for your character. Did you have a name picked out?" He asked, shuffling some papers around.

"I'd like to use the name Kai. It's Navajo meaning is Willow." Tara nodded her head as she spoke.

"Interesting…do you want your character being Native American?" Vince questioned, ideas already dancing in his mind.

"Well, sure. I mean, I am Native American and it would be cool to be able to portray that in my character." She said, almost excitedly.

"I'll make sure creative knows. If you don't mind my asking, how tall are you?" Vince asked.

"I'm 5'10 sir."

"I think I know someone who would be a good opponent for you." Vince grinned before sending Tara on her way.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, June 18th, was the Hall Of Fame Ceremony and Tara was excited. Her grandfather had asked her to be his date, so she brought a dress and accessories along with her.

She'd gotten her nails done, a black French tip.

It took her a good half an hour to get into her dress. It was a dark blue color with black lace coming off the bottom and black roses placed under her bust and on her side. The skirt was layers of the dark blue silk that fanned out at the hips. The bust was just a bit low cut, just enough to show a little cleavage but still looked classy. Black heels were on her feet. Her dark hair in its natural wild curls tumbled down her back to her hips.

Lips painted a deep plumb color, and her eyes done into a smokey cat-eye, she looked beautiful. Her earrings were diamond hearts and her bracelet was a diamond tennis bracelet.

"You look beautiful." Her grandfather, Luke, said when he picked her up. "Here, I got this for you, young one." He pulled out a long velvet box.

She opened it and gasped, smiling. "It's so pretty." She murmured, pulling it out of the box and handing it to him before turning and lifting her hair so he could help her put it on. "Thank you, grandpa." She hugged him once he clasped it.

"Let's get going." He smiled, leading her out.

The ceremony was awesome, and Tara may have cried when her grandfather was inducted. She stood and clapped, cheering for him.

Afterwards, they went out and had a nice dinner at one of the seafood restaurants in the harbor.

Her grandpa dropped her off at her hotel room at 1am, telling her that he'd see her tomorrow.

The next day, June 19th , Tara got up and showered. She changed into a pair of jean shorts, a black flowy tank top with a jeweled neckline and high heeled cowgirl boots. She once again left her hair wild and hanging down her back.

She took a cab to the arena, flashing her pass at security and heading backstage. She bumped into Stephanie.

"I'm so sorry!" Both girls exclaimed, catching themselves before they fell.

"What are you doing here? Dad said you weren't coming in yet?" Stephanie looked confused.

"I just came to watch the Pay-Per-View, if that's okay?" Tara looked at her unsure.

Stephanie gave her a smile and nodded. "That's okay. You and I can sit out in the crowd and watch, if you want."

"Really?" Tara asked excitedly.

"Sure! Daddy always saves two seats in case one of us wants to watch out in the crowd." Stephanie grinned widely, sharing in the excitement.

"Sweet" Tara smiled. Stephanie seemed like a cool female, she didn't seem like a snob or anything that normally ticked Tara off. "Is there somewhere we could eat?" She asked.

"Sure, catering is this way." Stephanie led her down a hallway, past a bunch of wrestlers and into a room. It was set up kind of like a cafeteria with the tables and chairs along with a buffet line.

"I'm in heaven." Tara said, heading to the food with Stephanie in tow. Both women loaded up their plates and grabbed waters before finding a table off to the side so they could people watch. "So, Steph…wait, can I call you that?" Tara asked as she speared a grape with her fork.

"Sure." Stephanie nodded, popping a chip in her mouth.

"Okay so Steph, what's going on around here? How come I haven't seen Kevin or Big Ugly?" Tara asked, Mark being Big Ugly.

"Well, Mark's been doing things for daddy, and Kevin's just…he's floating around here somewhere." Stephanie shrugged. "You'll probably see them today at some point though."

"I don't know if I want to." Tara speared a piece of Mellon angrily, almost like it done her wrong.

"Why?" Stephanie asked, pausing.

"Because he betrayed me." Tara scowled, biting into the fruit and chewing. She sighed. "I'm just pissed."

"As you should be. What he did was wrong." Stephanie nodded before glancing over Tara's shoulder. "Uh-oh, speak of the devil and he'll appear." She pointed behind Tara.

Tara turned and groaned before tossing her fork onto her plate. "Why did I come here again?" She asked no one in particular.

"What are you doing here?" Kevin asked as he stood beside the table, raising an eyebrow at Tara. "Aren't you supposed to be training?"

Tara scowled at him. "If you need to know, I was invited here by a member of my family." She snapped, standing up. "And no, I'm not supposed to be training. Mark took off to do something for the Mac man so I came here." She turned and looked at Steph. "Wanna go?"

"Sure." Stephanie stood up and both women walked away before Kevin could say anything.

"Dude, what'd you do to her?" Shawn Michaels asked, stepping up beside his friend.

"No idea." Kevin shook his head. "Anything pisses her off though so…" He shrugged and then both men went to get something to eat.

Stephanie and Tara looked at each other before Steph broke the silence.

"Well that went well." Both girls burst into laughter before heading to their seats. The show was to start soon.

It was awesome to watch everything that night, both girls cheered for their favorites and booed for their least favorites. When Kevin came out as Diesel, Tara sat back in her seat with her arms crossed.

As the show ended, both girls slipped through the crowd and to the back, heading for catering once again. They each grabbed a drink and sat back at their table from earlier that day.

"So, you seem cool." Steph said.

"So do you." Tara chuckled. "I normally don't get along with females."

"Oh I understand that. Some of them can be real bitches!" Stephanie shook her head.

"Exactly." Tara took a drink of her soda before looking at Steph. "How old are you?"

"18, I'll be 19 soon though." She shrugged.

"I'm 24, I'll be 25 next year."

The girls continued asking questions and getting to know each other. Tara felt like she could really be friends with Stephanie.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Just the plot and Tara.**

**A/N: over two thousand five hundred and like 90 words? Wow, longest chapter yet…next chapter just might have some smut.**

One thing that Tara and Vince agreed upon was to keep her signed contract between them and Stephanie. No one was to say anything, until Vince gave the okay. He'd told her it'd be awhile before they could bring her in so she should continue to Train as much as she could and just play like she hadn't a clue.

It was easy, hiding it from Mark. It felt wrong to keep it from him for some reason but her pride wouldn't allow her to give in. He'd hurt her quite a few times and she didn't care if she felt guilty for not speaking up.

She'd had to resort to ignoring Kevin's calls though. That one really stung her. Since she met Kevin, shortly a few years ago, he'd become her best friend, her confidant…hell her brother. For him to go and try to ruin her career behind her back, after all the hard work that she'd put into it, it hurt.

She couldn't find a reason for why neither of them would want her around. And she sure as hell wouldn't ask either of them. Oh no, Tara was going to bide her time and strike when they both least expected it. That's how Tara was.

"Tighten your stance!" Mark snapped at her, "If you keep standing like that, I'll be able to knock you over easily."

Tara shot him a glare but did as he said, tightening up her stance. They circled each other before locking up. Mark's height didn't really help too much in situations like these. They broke the lock up and stared the other down. Just as Tara goes to lunge for him, he lifts her up and chokeslams her to the mat.

She glares up at him, eyes full of anger and hatred.

He smirks down at her. "Pride hurt?" he couldn't help but tease her. It was funny to see her riled up.

"Fuck you." She hissed, words dripping in venom.

"You keep saying that, I'm beginning to think you want to." Mark smirked as she sputtered.

"You…go to hell!" She snapped, not knowing what else to say.

"I'll meet you there." He winked at her. She snarled, the look marring her normally very beautiful face. "Ya know, your face is going to freeze like that one day."

"It's better than yours."

"I don't like you." He narrowed his eyes.

"And God don't like ugly, so you're fucked." She shrugged, turning on her heel and heading to her bag. She snatched up a towel and her water bottle. She could feel his eyes watching her every movement and it had her on edge. Almost like she was anticipating whatever his next move was.

Mark licked his lips, trailing his eyes over her. She had a hint of a tattoo on her thigh but he could never see what it was because she always kept herself covered. He didn't ask because he didn't want to get his head bitten off. "What plans do you have tonight?"

"Why?" Tara asked, eyeing him weirdly.

"Just curious." Mark shrugged.

"Yeah well…curiosity killed the cat." She snarked.

"But satisfaction brought it back." Mark smirked at her, wiggling his eyebrows. He should have expected that punch that she landed on his arm. "Kitten's got claws." He made a hissing sound.

"She's also got teeth." Tara flashed him a wide smile, all teeth.

It caused him to shudder but not in fear. "Promise she'll use 'em?" He leered at her.

Tara looked at him like he grew two heads. Who the hell was this man? This couldn't be Mark. He'd never been flirtatious or salacious with her before. This was weird, especially for him.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked.

"What?" Mark chuckled.

Tara just shook her head. "Nothing, never mind." She turned to leave but he caught her arm. She turned, ready to snap at him but he spoke before she could.

"You should come out tonight. A few of the guys are in town and we're all going out for a drink…it'd be cool if you came, ya know." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down.

"Are you asking me on a date?" She narrowed her eyes.

"What?" He snapped his head up, eyes wide. "No...Hell no!"

His words stung, stung more than she'd admit out loud anyway. Mentally shaking herself off, she squared her shoulders and stared at him, refusing to let him see how his reaction hurt her. "Good because I'd never go on a date with you." She sneered, giving him a look full of anger.

Mark rolled his eyes. "So you'll go?" He asked. When she just stared at him in response, he rattled off the name of the bar and ushered her out of the building. "Go on and get gussied up. You need it."

Tara's head snapped around to face him, giving him the deadliest look he'd seen in some time. "Fuck you." She snapped, stomping off to her truck.

"Keep saying that and maybe I'll take you up on the offer!" He hollered after her, receiving her middle finger in response. He snorted and headed off inside.

Tara drove home and parked her truck in her driveway, but she sat there for a while, staring at the steering wheel.

Mark's words had hurt her. They'd struck something deep down inside of her and she felt hurt over a man's words for the first time in awhile. Maybe because it's not just some man, but maybe because it's _**Mark. **_He wasn't just a man, he was something different. Sure he was an asshole most of the time but there was just something about him that made Tara want to let down her defenses and just beg him to take her, to make her feel like a woman should feel, show her a man's loving hand. But then he goes and opens his mouth and the moment passes.

At night though, when she's lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep…he's there, on her mind. It pisses her off because it keeps her from being able to sleep but it also fills her with this…this feeling of _longing…_of _wanting _something. She doesn't allow herself to delve into these thoughts too much. She denies and denies…she'll keep denying too.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, she forced herself to climb out of her truck and square her shoulders. She pulled her normal front on, just like a winter coat that wrapped around her and kept her safe from the bitter cold of the world…of heartache.

She trudged into the house, determined that she wasn't going to let a man twist her up so much. But she's sure as hell gonna tease him.

A few hours later, she had her perfect outfit picked and set out. She showered and scrubbed herself until she smelled of nothing but Peaches and honey. Getting out, she dried off and applied her makeup. Her lips stained a dark red color, her eyes smoke with thick black liner.

She pulled on her red lacey t-back thong before pulling on the rest of her clothes. She stepped in front of the mirror, smirking.

Her pants were black leather that fit her like a second skin; her top was a corset bustier top with straps that was red with polka dots and black lace around the breasts and hips. Lastly, her shoes. Thigh high red slouch suede boots that looked sinful. One glance in the mirror, and she was confident as hell that she'd be bringing someone to their knees tonight.

Snatching her leather jacket off the back of the door, she pulled it on as she left the room. Heading down the steps, she grabbed her black clutch and brought it with her.

Standing outside the door of the bar, Tara took a deep breath before putting a smirk on her red painted lips. Opening the door, she stepped inside and glanced around.

It was a large bar bar, with billiards tables off to the left and normal tables to the right. The bar stood between both sections, separating the sides of the room. Couples were dancing on the old looking dance floor as Patsy Cline crooned from the Jukebox near the stage. The building smelled of smoke, stale peanuts and beer.

Glancing around, she spotted them. Well, Mark anyway. He was sitting with a group of men, all of them taking up three tables that'd been pushed together.

"Well lookie who I found." Tara spoke near his ear, smirking when he jumped.

"Lord, you're gonna give me a heart attack!" Mark snapped before spinning around in his chair. His jaw dropped just a bit and his eyes raked over her body. He couldn't believe it! She looked like walking sin in her leather pants, and her top tight and pushing her breasts up; her breasts almost spilling out of the top. "Holy fuck." He whistled.

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies." She patted his cheek, trying to ignore the rush that coursed through her when she caught him staring. This is exactly what she wanted when she pulled on this get up.

"Well who's this little heartbreaker?" A raspy voice called out.

Tara turned her head towards the voice, and her eyes fell on Shawn Michaels. She gave him a slow smile, aware of the fact that Mark was staring at her now. "Tara Carter, and you are?" She held out her hand.

"Shawn Michaels, at your service." Shawn spoke, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips before bringing her hand to his mouth, brushing a kiss across her knuckles.

Tara laughed softly, pulling her hand away. "It's nice to meet you." She turned her green eyes to Mark, who hadn't said anything for a few moments. "Cat got your tongue, ugly?" She smirked wickedly.

Mark blinked, shaking his head. "What the hell are you doin', dressin' like that?" He rumbled.

Tara raised an eyebrow. "I'm a grown ass woman, and I happen to like this outfit."

"So do I!" A few voices called out, causing Mark to growl and Tara to laugh.

Before Mark could say anything else, Shawn piped up. "Okay, let me introduce everyone since Deadman here seems to not want to." He gestured to Mark before giving Tara a smile. "You already know me. This here is Sean Waltman, but we all call him kid. This is Hunter, he's in WCW. Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall." He pointed around the table at each person he introduced.

"I know 2 of you already." She shot Kevin and Scott both a dark look before turning to Sean. "I've seen you. You're sweet out in that ring, man."

"Thank you." Sean smiled up at her. "I like your rack."

Tara raised an eyebrow.

"Ignore him, he thinks with his dick." Someone called out, drawing her attention to Hunter.

"Most men do."She answered, taking a seat between Shawn and Mark. "You know, you're kinda pretty." She told Hunter, squinting at him. "Almost too pretty…"

"I'm not gay." Hunter answered, taking a drink from his bottle.

"I never said you were." Tara cracked a grin before her eyes flickered to Kevin and her grin faded. She shook her head and turned back to Hunter.

"I'm just saying…I'm not gay."

"I thought we had something special, man!" Shawn cried, giving him a wounded look.

"Like anyone's gonna believe that the Sexy Boy is gay." Tara laughed, snatching Marks beer and taking a drink. "Although some of your ring outfits are questionable…" She trailed off, bursting into laughter when he gave her a shocked look.

"Hey!" Shawn cried, sounding indignant.

Mark shook his head and waved the waitress over, ordering another round for everyone before snatching his bottle back from Tara and finishing it off in one long drink.

She turned her head, glancing up at him through her lashes as she licked her lips. Normally, it wouldn't be attractive but damn the girl looked good.

A few rounds later, Hunter and Scott left to go find some girls, Sean went to the pool tables thus leaving Mark, Kevin and Shawn all at the tables.

"So Miss Carter…what should I know about you?" Shawn asked, eyes raking over her body. "Besides the fact that you like leather." His mouth quirked up into a grin.

Tara shrugged, taking a drink before grinning back at him. "Nothing much honestly. I-"

"Let's go play pool." Kevin said, interrupting Tara as he stood.

"But I don't-"

"Come on." Kevin walked over, grasped her hand and tugged her up.

Tara sighed and polished off her beer before giving Shawn an apologetic look as Kevin tugged her over to the other side of the bar and handed her a pool stick. "Why'd you do that?" She hissed, smacking him with the end of the stick.

"I wanted to talk to you." Kevin said, racking up the balls before standing out of the way and gesturing to Tara. "You get to break."

Tara rolled her eyes at him before walking around the table and leaning over the edge. She took her shot, breaking the rack but not sinking any. "About what?"

"Why you've been avoiding me." Kevin answered, shrugging.

"I haven't-"

"Don't try to bullshit the bullshitter, Tara." Kevin shook his head, taking a shot and sinking the 3. "Why?" He asked as he took another shot, missing.

"I've been busy?" She leaned over the table again, taking another shot and sunk the 10.

"With?" Kevin asked as she took another shot, sinking the 12.

"Training." She shrugged. She took her next shot and missed.

"Funny, because Mark can answer my calls but you can't." He narrowed his eyes before sinking in the 5, the 1 and just when he went to take his shot at the , Tara took her pool stick and smacked his ass, causing him to jump and scratch. "Jesus fuck!"

"Don't use that language!" Tara scolded, trying not to laugh but failed miserably. She leaned over to take her shot and a hand smacked her ass, causing her to yelp and turn around. "Hey!"

"Oh look, it's my turn."Kevin smirked at her and took his shot, sinking the 2.

Around and around they went, taking their turns until the 8 ball was left. It was Kevin's turn.

Eying his target, he leaned over to take his shot and CRACK, his knees buckled and he crumbled to the ground as Tara smirked down at him.

"Oh, it's my turn." She sang, dancing away from him and taking her shot, sinking the ball. She cheered, shaking her hips and laughing as Kevin grumbled. "That's game, chump!"

"You're the devil." Kevin shook his head, standing back up.

Tara grinned brightly at him. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." She cooed before jabbing him in the gut with the pool stick and set it on the table, darting across the bar. She slid into her seat next to Mark, who in turn handed her a beer. "Thanks ya, sir." She patted his arm and took a drink.

"Have fun?" Mark raised an eyebrow.

"Mhmm." She nodded, scanning around the room. "Where'd Shawn go?"

Mark shrugged. "Probably off chatting up some girl."

Tara rolled her eyes and took another drink.

"What?" Mark asked.

"Why do men think with their dicks?" She asked.

Mark shrugged. "I have no clue." His words were starting to slur, which proved he'd had a lot more to drink since she'd last seen him.

**A/N: Who would you want the smut with? Shawn, Hunter, Scott, or Mark. Leave your vote in the reviews.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer; I own nuttin but the plot and my OC. Everything else belongs to the respectful owners.**

Tara glanced at Mark. "You're drunk." She stated.

"Nah," He shook his head, taking a drink from his bottle. "Just a bit buzzed, darlin'"

She eyed him doubtfully but didn't say anything. She ordered a shot of Tequila.

"You're gonna be sick." Mark told her.

"What?" She frowned in confusion.

Mark set his bottle on the table and turned in his seat to look at her. "Ever hear that sayin', Liquor before beer you're in the clear, Beer before Liquor you're never sicker."

Tara shook her head. "No, never heard of it." She murmured, thanking the waitress before downing her shot straight. She didn't like lemon or salt with her shot. Reaching over, she snatched Mark's bottle and took a drink. "But I don't intend to drink much tonight. Besides, I've only had two beers." She turned to look at him.

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Can't hang with the big dogs?" He teased, green eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I can too!" Tara glared at him.

"Sure darlin'." Mark chuckled.

"I can!" She insisted.

Mark just hummed and turned away.

Huffing, Tara realized he was just trying to bait her. Well, she wasn't gonna fall for it.

"Hey pretty lady, come dance with me." Shawn held a hand out to her.

"Where'd you come from?" Tara laughed at him, ignoring Mark who was watching them out of the corner of his eye.

"Ya see pretty lady, when a man and a woman-" She placed her hand over his mouth, shaking her head.

"I didn't mean that, you freak. Besides, I know how babies happen." She laughed, dropping her hand and standing up.

Shawn trailed his eyes over her. "Oh, I'm sure you do."

"My eyes are up here, freak." She snapped her fingers in front of his face.

Shawn shot her a smirk before he grabbed her hand. "Gonna come dance?" He asked

"Sure." She smiled to herself when she saw Mark's hands ball into fists. Yeah, she was confused by his reaction but also loved it. Somewhere on a baser level, Mark had to at least find her attractive. The thought sent a thrill through her.

Together, Tara and Shawn headed to the dance floor. They danced a few songs until a slow song came on.

Mark, seeing his chance, got up and strode over to the duo. He cleared his throat, catching their attention. "Can I interrupt?"

Tara nodded at Shawn, who then went to go do something else. She turned her eyes on Mark.

He said nothing, just wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of his chest.

Glancing up, her eyes locked with his and her arms snaked around his neck as the song played in the background.

_Hold on little girl  
Show me what he's done to you_

She froze for a second, recognizing the song from the radio.

Her eyes stayed on Mark's as they slow danced. Memories of heartache and pain hit her and her arms tightened just slightly, trying to keep herself grounded.

Mark just stared down at her, the song reflecting feelings he hadn't admitted to yet, not even to himself. Sure, Tara was attractive but he refused to think about actually being in a relationship with her. He could sense that she had demons she didn't want to face, could see it when they spoke to each other. It was like she held herself back.

Tara bit down on her red stained bottom lip to keep from crying. Only few people really knew why Tara was seemingly cold and hateful to everyone, save for a select few. Only those select people ever got to see her express actual emotion besides anger.

Her breathing was getting raged as she forced back tears. Mark had been mouthing the words, giving her this look that made her want to put everything aside and just be. But as the song ended, her tears dried up and she broke eye contact.

"You seem lost." Mark whispered in her ear.

She leaned up, just enough so that her mouth brushed against his ear as she spoke. "What are you doing to me?"

They both seemed to ask each other that question a lot. They drew emotions out of each other that they both tried to keep locked away and hidden from the world, trying to shield themselves.

Mark just pulled back and stared down at her face, taking in her appearance. Her wildly curly hair was hanging around her face and falling down to her hips, tanned cheeks flushed , green eyes looking a little bloodshot and her lips looking swollen from the abuse her teeth put them through throughout the night.

At the same time, she was doing the same to him. His black dyed locks pulled back out of his face, letting her see the slight pink color in his cheeks. His lips open slightly, breathing. His eyes though, that dark green color…that pulled her in, made her feel hypnotized.

Silently, Mark let her go but grasped her hand as they walked to the table.

Around 3AM everyone called it a night. Kevin hugged her and promised to call her when he got the chance before leaving with the others.

"Wanna give me a ride?" Mark asked her quietly. When she shot him a confused look, he explained. "I came with the guys but they have to head to the next show and I'm not so…"

Tara nodded her head. "Yeah." Her voice just as quiet as his. Silently, the duo walked to her truck and climbed in.

The drive was silent, both of them reflecting on their thoughts.

Silence broke when they pulled into Mark's driveway.

"You wanna come in?" He asked his gaze on her.

Tara turned her head to look at him. Their eyes locked and she sucked in a breath. His very stare seemed to pierce through her, stirring up feelings in the pit of her stomach. "Sure."

Mark licked his lips before climbing out. Hearing the other door close, he waited for her. His hand reached out when she got close enough, grasping her hand. They walked up the steps, standing on the porch. He looked down at her. "I'm warning you, when we step in there, I intend to have you. If you don't want that, you can leave now before I do something that you don't want."

Tara gazed back up at him, warring with herself.

"If you don't want this, tell me before I open this door."

She looked up at him, "Yes."

That was all he needed. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, turning on the hall light. He still held her hand, so he tugged it, making her step inside. The door closed behind them with an audible _click_.

**A/N: PUT AWAY THE PITCHFORKS! Okay, I'm sorry there's no smut in this chapter. It WILL be in the next chapter though, I promise you all. **


	8. Chapter 8

Neither of them move for a few moments, long moments. Their eyes are locked on each other and the only sounds that can be heard is their breathing and the ticking of the clock.

She made the first move, stepping closer to him. Her hands on his shirt covered chest, sliding up to his shoulders, smoothing up the sides of his neck then into his hair, grabbing two handfuls and tugging him closer to her. Her eyes glanced up at him for a second before she pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth. Slowly, she peppered kisses down across his scruff covered jaw.

Mark's lips parted, small puffs of air escaping his mouth as her lips made their way to his neck. His hands went to her hips, feeling the silken material of that corset top thing she was wearing. Slowly, his fingers started to undo the ties, all the while her mouth working on his neck.

"This needs to come off." Tara grunted, tugging on his black t-shirt. She slid her hands up under his shirt, hands brushing across his stomach and up to his chest, dragging the shirt with her. Pulling her mouth away from his neck, she pulled the shirt up over his head and tossed it somewhere behind her.

"So does this." Mark murmured, finally untying the strings and undoing the fastenings. He never understood why women wore such complicated clothing. He pulled the shirt off of her, letting it fall to the ground behind them. His eyes drank her in, just in her boots and leather pants. "Damn." He whistled.

"No more talking." She said seriously, mouth pressing biting kisses to the underside of his jaw.

Mark groaned low in his throat, fingers popping open the button and pulling down her zipper before his hand slid into her pants. Fingers brushed against wet red lace, and a low moan echoed around the room. Hands gripping onto broad shoulders, panting breaths puffing against his neck.

A gasp of his name when his fingers press just a bit harder, circling and teasing outside of the fabric. Nimble fingers unbutton and zip his jeans, small hands slip inside his black boxers and wrap around his cock, causing him to groan.

They tease, stroke and drive each other to the brink of madness.

"You need to strip, now." Mark finally demanded.

"You first, jackass." Tara snapped, crossing her arms in front of her bare chest.

Mark rolled his eyes and kicked off his boots before his jeans and boxers pool at his feet and he kicks them to the side. "Your turn." He cocks an eyebrow.

Even in a moment like this they rile each other up.

Tara rolled her eyes back at him before leaning down and unzipping her knee high red boots, pulling them off before pulling down her leather pants. Soon she's left in just her red lace thong.

"All of it." Mark smirks, eyes wandering over her almost completely naked form. She was beautiful, damn near perfect.

Tara huffed before her panties joined the rest of her clothes.

Eyes lock and for a few beats, it's completely quiet and then hands are grasping desperately at skin, mouths crush together and they make it to about the living room floor before patience runs thin and Mark just lays her on the floor.

Tara throws something at him and he rolls it on before settling between her tan thighs. His eyes lock with hers as he slowly pushes in. A long strangled moan falls from her lips and her fingers dig into his back.

It's careful, easy at first but it doesn't satisfy either of them and Mark's thrusts get harder and deeper. Tara swears she's being moved across the floor with the force of his thrusts.

Moans, heavy breathing, skin slicked with sweat.


	9. Chapter 9

It's when the sunlight spills in from the window that she wakes. Memories of the night before, hot hands and harsh thrusts have a blush creeping up into her face. Before she can change her mind, she's up off the couch, where they had finally just passed out sometime after round 4. She starts gathering her clothes and pulling them on.

"You're awake." His voice rumbles, and as she turns her head she notices he's in the kitchen doorway.

"No shit." Is her response as she fights to get her top back on.

"I got us doughnuts and coffee." He sounds like he's laughing at her.

"Not hungry."

"You can shower if you want." Mark tells her. "I have some clothes you can put on."

Tara looks up at him skeptically, and it causes Marks heart to ache that she seems to think he has some ulterior motive. She's obviously not used to a man being polite.

"Okay." She agrees eventually, not seeing a reason to fight with him. She follows him upstairs to the bathroom, and waits while he goes to grab her some clothes.

"These should fit." He walked into the room, holding a pair of grey sweats and a plane black t-shirt. "They shrunk when I dried them so…" He trailed off, setting the clothes on the counter. "I'll just leave you to it." He murmured, kissing her forehead and darting out of the room.

Tara stood there, a dazed expression on her face. Mark had caught her off guard with that small sign on affection, even after the evening they spent together. He had been tender with her, even as he took her on the rug.

Shaking her head, she closed the bathroom door and turned on the water.

Once she'd washed away all evidence of last night, save for the few bite marks and hickeys she found. She was irritated that he'd marked her, but she was pretty sure she'd left a few marks on him also. She pulled on the clothes, happy when they actually fit her and not too tight.

She walked downstairs and into the kitchen, spotting Mark leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Coffee's there. I didn't know what you liked, so I just got black." He gestured towards the cup on the counter.

Tara nodded. "Do you have any milk? Sugar?" She grabbed the items once he told her yes and where the sugar was. She fixed her coffee just right and moaned when she took a drink.

It was quiet, an awkward kind of quiet. Neither of them knew what to say or how to act. Would last night really change everything? One of them wanted it to, while the other truly didn't know what they wanted.

"Are we training today?" Tara asked, breaking the silence.

Mark watched her silently. "Do you want to?" He asked a few moments later.

"Not really. I was thinking of taking a break for the day. I have some things I need to do any way." She murmured, not looking at him.

"Really?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Then tell me what they are?" He asked.

Tara's head snapped up and she glared at him heatedly. "I don't have to tell you shit." She put her mug on the counter.

"I'm just curious." Mark held a hand up in front of him.

"Yeah well…keep your nose out of my business." Tara muttered, finishing her coffee and then leaving quickly, her clothes from the night before forgotten.


End file.
